


The Comic Book Guy

by copperbadge



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-12
Updated: 2014-11-12
Packaged: 2018-02-25 04:07:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2607896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/copperbadge/pseuds/copperbadge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers and James Barnes meet for the first time in a Hydra factory during the war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Comic Book Guy

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [The Comic Book Guy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2788343) by [finesea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/finesea/pseuds/finesea)



> This is based on a delightful gifset by philcoulson on Tumblr, [which you can find here.](http://philcoulson.tumblr.com/post/70152135179/captain-america-au-bucky-and-steve-meet-for-the)

Steve knows, the minute he sees James Barnes for the first time.

He came after the hundred and seventh because he finally saw that the brass would never let him fight, but also because it's his father's unit and he'll be damned before he'll stand idly by. Dad's ghost, a faint memory of a voice he'd only heard a few times as a child, drove him out of the camp and onto Stark's plane and through the factory until here he is, actually managing to rescue four hundred men held behind the line in a Hydra factory. 

He never thought he'd know like this, like _bam pow_ knowing, but he does, the minute he pulls the poor bastard off the table in Schmidt's horrifying lab room. He looks at the man and it's love at first sight even though Steve's a phony hero carrying a prop shield and this guy is like two feet from the looney bin. 

Then the guy stops chanting "Barnes, James Buchanan, hundred and seventh" and looks at Steve and says, "Who the hell are you?"

"Captain America," Steve says, standing on the sharp edge of knowing, and gives the guy a matinee-idol grin because he wants to impress him. 

"The comic book guy?" Barnes asks incredulously, and socks him on the jaw. 

(Later, he'll explain that it was "Just in case -- I had to know if you were a hallucination!")

Steve staggers back, shakes off the only punch Bucky ever lays on him, and falls hopelessly, endlessly in love. 

It takes them three days to get back to camp, three days of marching at night and hiding in daylight, of men looking to Steve to lead them. The sergeants push one of the few precious tents on him, as their ranking officer, but he insists that Sergeant "Call me Bucky" Barnes shares it with him, and the humid little tent keeps them warm the second day, when Bucky writhes with fever, teeth chattering, and calls for his mama in delirium. Steve is terrified he'll die, even though he hardly knows the man, and his relief when the fever breaks is almighty. 

Once they do get back to camp, Steve leaves him to the care of the medics. He finds a quiet corner, away from the bustle of camp, and sits, forehead pressed to his knees, and has a quiet little breakdown. 

It wasn't meant to be like this, a hook to the jaw for true love, and it's insane to even be thinking this way. But he can't help it. Nothing has ever felt like coming home as much as pulling Bucky Barnes to safety did. He'll just have to set his jaw and shove his way through this like he has everything else in life -- but at least he has plenty of experience with _that_. 

They're put on a transport to London HQ the next day. Steve's not allowed among the wounded, so he can't find Bucky immediately. But he can't _not_ go looking for him, so after the debrief with the brass he stops at medical, only to find that Barnes snuck out of Medical, weaseled himself a 24-hour pass, and took off. The gate officer implies he was probably going to go find a bar and get lit. 

Steve drags the rest of his chosen men out into London for a celebratory drink, as an excuse. When they eventually do find him, Steve is relieved, but Bucky looks sullen.

"So, Captain America," he says, when Steve leaves the rest of the newly-formed unit singing loudly in the other room, and comes to sit with him. "I guess I should thank you for saving my life."

Steve can't work out why Bucky's so angry, but he sits down next to him anyway, because there's no way he can walk away from this. It's like that, for him, and he doesn't know why, and he doesn't _care_ why. 

"Did I do something wrong?" Steve asks. 

Bucky looks up at him, and Steve tries to radiate innocence and friendliness. Bucky's eyes flick up and down, and Steve realizes he's being looked at, the way he looked at fellas before he ever thought he'd have a chance with one. 

He almost laughs with glee. Bucky thinks Captain America wouldn't have him, and he wants Captain America, and that's why he's so angry. Delight fills Steve's big frame. 

"No," Bucky says, not quite so sullen now. "Nothing wrong."

Later, they'll talk more. They'll find they both grew up in Brooklyn, that Bucky likes comic books and Steve wanted to be an artist before the war, that Steve used to be a little guy and Bucky used to have a thing for little fellas like him in the clubs he went to, clubs Steve never dared investigate. Later, Steve will realize that for the first time since his Ma died, he's got someone who'd die for him. Later, Bucky will kill for him in combat, and he'll kill for Bucky too. 

A lot later, they might finally get to go back to New York and set up housekeeping like they'll talk about on the long, dark nights in 1944 -- but that's decades away, and won't be easy in the meantime, and besides, Steve doesn't know that yet. 

For now, this is enough: that Bucky wants something from Steve, and Steve is over the moon to be able to give it, because he wants the same from Bucky. 

Steve leans in a little, smiling his best smile. "Any chance of you following Captain America home, then?" 

Bucky snorts into his drink, startled, and Steve waits patiently.

"Hell no," he says. "Total showboater." 

Steve's heart falls. Did he misread this? How did he misread it so badly? This always happens, he always -- 

"But I might give the guy I owe my life a shot in the sack," Bucky adds. He looks up, and Steve grins so widely at him it hurts. He's in love and Bucky likes him back and even in the middle of a war they are not yet winning, everything is perfect.

"You're keeping the uniform, right?" Bucky asks in a low voice.

Steve glances at the poster on the wall. He looks ridiculous in it, but at least he fills it out nicely. 

"It's growing on me," he says, turning back to Bucky. "Finish your drink, soldier, and I'll show you the most patriotic good time you ever had."


End file.
